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Rotorua will be at the heart of the New Zealand esports scene for Techweek 2019.

On May 20, four teams will be battling live on stage for a prize pool of $10,000, the largest prize ever seen in NZ League of Legends history.

Spectators will be able to watch players compete at a live viewing event for free.

With a space that seats over 500, there will be three huge screens, a live DJ, dance crews, light displays, gear and food for sale, live commentators and professional esports players analysing the game.

"To show our rangatahi that there are amazing opportunities within this space. It's not just about playing the games, it's about developing and designing games, creating animation for them, and running events like this."

The team behind the event, Digital Natives Academy (DNA), have recently teamed up with Riot Games, one of the largest gaming companies in the world to launch an innovative wellbeing, mental health, and esports education programme.

To celebrate this partnership Riot Games have sent over Sydney-based developer, Ivan Davies, who has spearheaded the Learning with League initiative.

Davies will deliver three interactive workshops, for teachers, parents, and classes, focusing on how esports can be used to teach valuable lessons about resilience, sportsmanship, and appropriate behaviour.

"Similar to traditional sports, video games are a major part of our children's lives, at a critical time in their lives and we have a chance to use this platform to help build lifelong habits that can inform their future success," Davies said.